With the proliferation of personal electronic devices such as laptop computers, tablets, smartphones, e-readers, and handheld gaming devices over the past several years, the use of such devices on passenger vehicles such as airplanes, trains, buses, and cars for both entertainment and work has become ubiquitous. Modern personal electronic devices commonly include large, high-resolution, touch-sensitive displays for viewing video content, playing games, reading e-books, or viewing or interacting with other content. A common problem with personal electronic devices is that they are uncomfortable to use for long periods of time. Looking down at a personal electronic device resting in or near the lap, keeps comfortable, but causes neck discomfort. Raising the personal electronic device to eye-level for a prolonged period of time prevents neck discomfort, but causes discomfort in the shoulders and arms.
Although several devices in the marketplace allow personal electronic devices to be used in a hands-free manner in a passenger vehicle, they are not compact enough for limited environments such as airplanes, require specialized components to be semi-permanently installed in the seats, or cannot accommodate personal electronic devices of varying shapes and sizes. There remains a need for a simple, portable personal electronic device mounting apparatus that can accommodate personal electronic device of varying sizes.